Current-injecting/tunneling light-emitting device and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method for making it. Some embodiments include a light-emitting device having a light-emitting active region; a tunneling-barrier (TB) structure facing adjacent the active region; a TB grown-epitaxial-metal-mirror (TB-GEMM) structure facing adjacent the TB structure, wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes at least one metal is substantially lattice matched to the active region; and a conductivity-type III-nitride crystal structure adjacent facing the active region opposite the TB structure. In some embodiments, the active region includes an MQW structure. In some embodiments, the TB-GEMM includes an alloy composition such that metal current injectors have a Fermi energy potential substantially equal to the sub-band minimum energy potential of the MQW. Some embodiments further include a second mirror (optionally a GEMM) to form an optical cavity between the second mirror and the TB-GEMM structure. In some embodiments, at least one of the GEMM is deposited on, and lattice matched to, a substrate.

1. An apparatus comprising:
 a light-emitting device that includes:
 a light-emitting active region; 
 a tunneling-barrier (TB) structure facing adjacent the active region; 
 a TB grown-epitaxial-metal-mirror (TB-GEMM) structure facing adjacent the TB structure, wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes at least one metal and is substantially lattice-matched to the active region; 
 a conductivity-type III-nitride crystal structure adjacent facing the active region opposite the TB structure; and 
 a current-conducting contact electrically connected to the conductivity-type III-nitride structure. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the active region includes a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the MQW structure of the active region includes quantum-well widths selected to provide a selected sub-band minimum energy potential, and 
 wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes an alloy composition such that metal current injectors have a Fermi energy potential that is substantially equal to the sub-band minimum energy potential of the MQW. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting device further comprises:
 a second mirror that is facing adjacent the conductivity-type III-nitride structure and facing the TB-GEMM structure to form an optical cavity between the second mirror and the TB-GEMM structure, wherein the active region is within the optical cavity. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting device further comprises:
 a second mirror comprising an optical-cavity grown-epitaxial-metal-mirror (OC-GEMM) structure that is facing adjacent the conductivity-type III-nitride structure and which forms an optical cavity between the OC-GEMM structure and the TB-GEMM structure, wherein the active region is within the optical cavity. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the active region is positioned a first distance away from a first face of the second mirror such that the active region is located at or substantially at an antinode of a first standing optical wave produced by interference of light emitted from the active region with light reflected by the second mirror to form at least one extraction mode. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting device further comprises:
 a substrate structure, 
 
       wherein the TB-GEMM structure is facing touching the substrate structure and is substantially lattice matched to a face of the substrate structure. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the light-emitting device further comprises:
 a substrate structure, 
 
       wherein the OC-GEMM structure is facing touching the substrate structure and is substantially lattice matched to a face of the substrate structure. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the TB-GEMM structure comprises:
 a compound that includes (Hf x Zr y Ti z )R where x+y+z=1 and where x is between 0 and 1, inclusive, and where y is between 0 and 1, inclusive, and where z is between 0 and 1, inclusive, and wherein R is N or B 2 . 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an insulating interfacial layer located between the TB-GEMM structure and the TB structure. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for making a light-emitting device, the apparatus comprising:
 means for forming a light-emitting active region; 
 means for forming a tunneling-barrier (TB) structure such that in the light-emitting device the TB structure is facing adjacent the active region; 
 means for forming a TB grown-epitaxial-metal-mirror (TB-GEMM) structure such that in the light-emitting device the TB-GEMM structure is facing adjacent the TB structure, wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes at least one metal and wherein the TB-GEMM structure is substantially lattice matched to the active region; 
 means for forming a conductivity type III-nitride crystal structure such that in the light-emitting device the conductivity type III-nitride crystal structure is facing adjacent the active region opposite the TB structure; and 
 means for forming a current-conducting contact such that in the light-emitting device the current-conducting contact is electrically connected to the conductivity type III-nitride. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the means for forming the active region includes means for forming a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the means for forming the active region includes means for forming a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure, the MQW structure having quantum-well widths selected to provide a selected sub-band minimum energy potential, and 
 wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes an alloy composition such that metal current injectors have a Fermi energy potential that is substantially equal to the sub-band minimum energy potential of the MQW. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising means for forming a second mirror such that in the light-emitting device the second mirror is facing adjacent the conductivity-type III-nitride structure and facing the TB-GEMM structure to form an optical cavity between the second mirror and the TB-GEMM structure, wherein the active region is within the optical cavity. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising means for forming a second mirror comprising an optical-cavity grown-epitaxial-metal-mirror (OC-GEMM) structure, such that in the light-emitting device the OC-GEMM structure is facing adjacent the conductivity-type III-nitride structure and forms an optical cavity between the OC-GEMM structure and the TB-GEMM structure, wherein the active region is within the optical cavity. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the light-emitting device is formed such that in the light-emitting device the active region is located a first distance away from a first face of the second mirror such that the active region is located at or substantially at an antinode of a first standing optical wave produced by interference of light emitted from the active region with light reflected by the second mirror to form at least one extraction mode. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 means for providing a substrate structure; and 
 means for forming the TB-GEMM structure on, and facing touching, the substrate structure and is substantially lattice matched to a face of the substrate structure. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 means for providing a substrate structure; and 
 means for forming the OC-GEMM structure on, and facing touching, the substrate structure and is substantially lattice matched to a face of the substrate structure. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the TB-GEMM structure comprises:
 a compound that includes (Hf x Zr y Ti z )R where x+y+z=1 and where x is between 0 and 1, inclusive, and where y is between 0 and 1, inclusive, and where z is between 0 and 1, inclusive, and wherein R is N or B 2 . 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising means for forming an insulating interfacial layer such that in the light-emitting device the interfacial layer is located between the TB-GEMM structure and the TB structure. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus comprising:
 a light-emitting device that includes:
 a light-emitting active region; 
 a tunneling-barrier (TB) structure facing adjacent the active region; 
 a TB grown-epitaxial-metal-mirror (TB-GEMM) structure facing adjacent the TB structure, wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes at least one metal and is substantially lattice-matched to the active region; 
 a conductivity-type III-nitride crystal structure adjacent facing the active region opposite the TB structure; and 
 a current-conducting contact electrically connected to the conductivity-type III-nitride structure; 
 wherein the active region includes a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure having quantum-well widths selected to provide a selected sub-band minimum energy potential, 
 wherein the TB-GEMM structure includes an alloy composition such that metal current injectors have a Fermi energy potential that is substantially equal to the sub-band minimum energy potential of the MQW, 
 wherein the light-emitting device further comprises:
 a second mirror that is facing adjacent the conductivity-type III-nitride structure and facing the TB-GEMM structure to form an optical cavity between the second mirror and the TB-GEMM structure, wherein the active region is within the optical cavity, and 
 
 wherein the active region is positioned a first distance away from a first face of the second mirror such that the active region is located at or substantially at an antinode of a standing optical wave produced by interference of light emitted from the active region with light reflected by the second mirror to form at least one extraction mode.